Indian wrestler Ritu Phogat has joined Evolve MMA in Singapore and looks set to pursue a career as a professional mixed martial artist. She and her sisters were the subject of Dangal, the highest grossing movie in Indian history.
On the back of the movie’s success Phogat secured a record breaking 36 lakh (50,000 USD) contract to wrestle for the Jaipur Ninjas franchise in India. In 2016 she also won gold at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship in Singapore in the 48kgs category.
Her decision to transition from wrestling to MMA has already made headlines in India. Her sisters Geeta Phogat, Babita Phogat, Sangeeta Phogat, and cousin Vinesh Phogat are also wrestling champions and she has been wrestling since the age of 8.
Evolve MMA head coach Eduardo Pamplona is looking forward to working with the multiple time wrestling champion,
“We are very excited to have Ritu join the Evolve Fight Team. She is one of the world’s best wrestlers and we believe that she will be able to transition to mixed martial arts seamlessly. The experience she brings, having competed at the world’s highest levels of wrestling, will help her adapt to mixed martial arts quickly. Under the guidance of our world champions, she will be able to learn the various martial arts efficiently, and we feel she has the potential to become a world champion in the future,” he said.
Apparently Phogat is already training in Singapore. Several Evolve MMA fighters have won ONE Championship titles including Shinya Aoki and Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke and the 24 year old is hoping to follow in their footsteps,
“I am excited to have moved to Singapore to begin my new journey in mixed martial arts as a member of the Evolve Fight Team. I look forward to the challenge of learning the various martial arts and broadening my skill set as a mixed martial artist. I have a dream of becoming India’s first ever world champion in mixed martial arts and can’t wait to represent India on the global stage and make my nation proud,” she said.
